One of the major casualties would be the Leek to Cheadle route, which takes in Bradnop, Bottomhouse, Ipstones, Foxt, Whiston, Froghall and Kingsley Holt. These villages would lose all their subsidies and therefore could have no service at all.

The Moorlands Connect service, which serves many rural villages would also lose its subsidies as would several Leek to Hanley routes run by D&G and buses via Cheddleton and Endon.

But if the option is approved, the county council has said it will continue to work with operators, district and borough councils, parish councils and local community groups to explore options for supporting some of the journeys which will no longer be funded by the county council from April 2018.

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“Money needs to be saved from the amount paid to councillors and there needs a look at staff savings. This is shame on the county council.”

Councillor Edwin Wain, whose area covers the Hamps Valley Ward of the district council, said he was not happy as the county council was “cutting everything”.

He said: “People who have not got cars will not be able to get to doctors, chemists or visit relatives. The county council is cutting everything. It is unbelievable.

“They should borrow money to safeguard villages. The roads are also bad.”

District councillor Teresa Riley, who represents the Manifold Ward, said people in the Moorlands would lose their freedom if the bus subsidies are taken away.

She said: “The rural communities have not been thought about. They use the transport to get to doctors, chemist and to see friends. People will just have to stay where they are which could see their health deteriorate.

“Funding needs looking at. It just needs tweaking and a reduce service.

“It seems the rural areas have not been thought about. It is heartless and thoughtless.”

However Leek Rural county councillor, Gill Heath, who is a member of the county council’s ruling cabinet, said: “I can see the reason why the council has recommended option one looking at the situation the authority is in. We are, however, looking at alternative ways of helping rural communities.”

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Mark Deaville, cabinet member for commercial, said: “While the vast majority of bus journeys in Staffordshire are made without any subsidy from the county council, some journeys are still costing taxpayers more than £10 every time someone gets on board.

“When we need to spend a record £300m on care this year, it is only right that we continue to look closely at how public money is used for bus journeys and the public consultation gave us the chance to find out how people in the county think this can be best spent.

“The option which keeps the most journeys for the lowest subsidy gained the most support of any option and we now want to work with bus operators, local councils and communities to explore how they may want to still support some of the journeys which will no longer be subsidised.”